The Girl From His Past
by VintageGrl
Summary: She came stumbling into Jericho wearing a Ravenwood patch on her arm and wounded. Anderson wants to hold her prisoner and then throw her out of town but what happens when she has something to do with the years Jake was gone? First fanfic so bear with me.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Okay…this is my very first fanfic ever but please still give me a chance and read it. I will put in things that happened in the show but if they don't occur in order it's because I thought this would better suit my story. Also I will probably write in new storylines or leave some out all together but it's because that's the way it will help my story along. Please bear with me while I figure __all of this__ out._

Jake was sitting at the bar at Bailey's drinking whatever concoction Mary's still had produced when Jimmy and a deputy came running in. Jake, Eric, Mary, and the other patrons in the bar turned to watch as Jimmy tried to catch his breath.

"What's wrong, Jimmy?" Jake asked, already standing up and getting his coat on.

Jimmy took one last deep breath before speaking. "One of the patrols just brought in a prisoner. She works for Ravenwood."

With a glance at Eric Jake ran out of the bar and towards City Hall. He ran into the building and straight to the sheriff's office where he found Gray talking with the men from the patrol who had brought the prisoner in.

"Where's the prisoner?" Jake asked automatically.

"Gray had us lock her up," Jimmy answered as he came in behind Jake once again out of breath.

"Tell me what happened."

One of the patrolmen turned to Jake. "We were watching the road as usual and she just came stumbling down it. She came up to us and just collapsed. The first thing we noticed was the Ravenwood patch and so we checked her for weapons. It was at that point that we noticed her wound—"

"Wait a minute," Jake interrupted. "She's wounded and you locked her up?"

"She works for Ravenwood," Gray argued. "We can't trust her."

"This isn't about trust. It's about being a human being," Jake countered. "Let Jimmy take her to the Medical Center and set up deputies to keep a watch on her. If she's wounded she needs medical attention before you ask her any questions."

"Jake's right Gray," Jimmy said. "I'll go and take her with a couple other guys."

A few minutes later Jimmy and one of the deputies came back into the office basically dragging their prisoner along. They stopped and stood the woman up before Gray, Jake, and Eric. She stood with her hands cuffed behind her back and her head bowed with her hair falling in her face. It looked like she could barely keep herself standing up on her own two feet.

"Do you want to come with us, Jake?" Jimmy asked. "So when April gives the okay you can talk to her."

The woman looked up at Jake in surprise. "Jake?" Just after she said his name she passed out and pitched forward.

Jake acted fast and running forward he caught her before she hit the floor. Cradling her in his arms he looked her over and found a large spot of blood on her side that had discolored a large portion of her clothing.

"She's been shot," he said to no one in particular. "We've got to get her to April immediately."

Picking her up Jake carried her outside and into a sheriff car that was parked on the side of the street. He got in the backseat with her and waited for Jimmy and a deputy to get in front. At the Medical Center Jake picked up back up and carried her inside. April came rushing up to him.

"Jake, what happened?" she asked as she led him into the exam room and directed him to lay his burden on the bed.

"One of the patrols brought her in and locked her up because she's from Ravenwood but she's been shot. I don't know how long ago she was shot of how much blood she's lost."

"Could you get Jimmy to uncuff her?"

"I'm right here. I'll do it," Jimmy answered as he walked into the exam room.

Several nurses followed him in and began to help April with the patient.

April looked up at the two men who still stood in the room. "I have to remove her clothing so could you be gentlemen and give us some privacy?"

Both of them mumbled something in reply as they backed out of the room. One nurse shut the door behind them as another closed the blinds on the windows.

Jake began to pace the hall and running his hands over his face and through his hair. It was easy for Jimmy to see that Jake was worried about the prisoner and he felt that talking to him might help keep his mind off what was going on in the room.

"So, Jake, do you know this girl?" he asked in a casual tone.

Jake stopped pacing and looked at the man. "Yeah. Her name is Layla Christian."

"Oh." Jimmy nodded his head. "How do you know her?"

"We worked together and were friends when I left Jericho."

"Just friends?"

Jake gave him a look. "Yes. Just friends."

Jimmy put his hands up to calm Jake down. "Okay. Do you think she's strong enough to make it?"

Jake looked towards the closed blinds. "The Layla I know is a fighter."

After some more pacing Jake sat down and just watched as nurses came and went from the exam room. He had been sitting there for well over two hours when April finally came out of the room. He stood up instantly and went to her.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked with concern shining in his eyes.

She smiled at him gently. "She's had it rough but I think she'll be fine. She's conscious now and asking for you."

Jake made to enter the room but stopped when April laid a hand on his arm. He looked up and met her gaze.

"She's pretty weak so don't take too much out of her," she advised.

He nodded his head then entered the room and shut the door behind him. He found Layla laying in the bed in a clean hospital gown gazing out the window. She had an IV of blood and something else going into her arm. When he walked further into the room she turned to him and gave him a weak smile which he quickly returned.

"Hey Jake," she greeted quite warmly for someone in her condition.

"Hey Layla."

He took a seat in the chair by her bed as she shifted to make herself a bit more comfortable. He caught the slight wince that flitted across her features.

"Take it easy," he urged. "April says you'll be okay but you still need to take it easy. You've been shot."

"Yeah. I think I would be the one to notice that," she replied sarcastically. "The doctor said I was lucky. The bullet went straight through me and came out the back without hitting any vital organs."

"Do you mind if I ask who shot you and why?"

"My C.O. with Ravenwood and because I wouldn't follow orders." Tears began to well up in her eyes. "I've seen and done some horrible things since the bombs and I just couldn't go through it anymore." She looked at Jake with fear in her eyes. "It was worse than Afghanistan, Jake." She started to break down. "It was so much worse."

Standing up Jake cradled her head against his chest. "It's okay now. You're safe here. Just get some rest and we can talk when you have a little more energy."

He continued to rock her until she fell asleep and then he took his seat again and kept a vigil at her bed side.

A little over twelve hours later Jake had been asleep for quite awhile when he was woken up by something being pelted at him. He opened his eyes to find himself covered in little waded up balls of paper. When he looked up at Layla he was relieved to see that she looked much better than she had when he had first seen her. Although she still was covered in much of the dirt and grim from her journey her color had returned to normal. She had the warm smile and spark in her eyes that always seemed to be a natural part of her. That smile and spark lent her an innocence that belied the fact that she was a trained mercenary with a horrific past.

He smiled and brushed the paper off of him. "You seem to be feeling a lot better."

"I am but I'm sure that a blood transfusion, over twelve hours of sleep, and an actual meal have something to do with that. April says that she still wants to keep me here for awhile just to be sure everything it truly fine though."

"That's understandable."

"So I'm guessing April is your sister-in-law."

"Yeah. She's married to Eric."

"She looks pregnant." She grinned at him. "Are you going to be an uncle?"

He leaned forward and laughed. "Yeah. It's hard to believe but I am."

Just then Gray Anderson and Jimmy cane into the room with Eric and Johnston. Jake stood up and tried to push them back out of the room but Gray just pushed his way through. He came to stand at the end of the bed and stared down at Layla.

"I'm Gray Anderson, the mayor of Jericho," he announced.

"Wait a minute. I thought Jake's dad was the mayor," Layla responded with obvious confusion.

"He lost the election and I took over. Jake says your name is Layla Christian. Is that your name?"

"Yes."

"You work for Ravenwood, right?"

"I did."

Jake stepped forward. "Gray is this really the time to be interrogating her. She's had barely enough time to recuperate. Can't this wait a few more days?"

"Jake makes a good point, Gray," Johnston cut in. "Give the girl a chance to rest and get better."

"She's a mercenary for Ravenwood. Have all of you forgotten what they've done and what they almost did to us?" Gray argued.

"None of us have forgotten," Jake replied.

Layla gripped Jake's arm to get his attention. "It's okay, Jake. Mayor Anderson has every right to question me. I wouldn't trust anyone from Ravenwood either." She then turned her attention back to Gray. "Ask away Mayor."

"Who sent you here?" Gray asked.

"No one."

"No one?"

"Yes. I wouldn't follow my C.O.'s orders anymore so as I was making a run for it he shot at me. He mostly missed except for the one that clipped my side," she replied with a grimace as she shifted uncomfortably. Jake put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving too much and she smiled up at him. "I walked for probably three days before I came across your patrol. I have seen things you can't even imagine and so I left Ravenwood in search of something better. I don't mean you or this town any danger. I swear. I just want to get away from the life Ravenwood offered to me. I hate Ravenwood just as much as you do. Maybe even more."

After hearing her speech Gray left the room and the other men followed. Jake squeezed Layla's hand and giving her a reassuring smile he left and closed the door behind him.

"So Gray are you going to let the girl stay?" Johnston asked.

"She doesn't really present us any danger," Eric commented.

Gray looked at the three Green men. "If I let her stay she will be your family's responsibility."

Jake looked to his father.

"We accept that responsibility," Johnston agreed. Once Gray had left Johnston turned to Jake. "You stay here with her. I'll take her stuff home and your mother and I will see if we can't clean it up for her and get some other stuff for her. Your mother will get the guest room ready for her for when she gets released from here."

"Thanks Dad," Jake sighed.

When his dad and brother had left Jake went back into Layla's room to find her once again starring out the window. She turned to look at him with a nervous gaze.

"So?" she asked unsurely.

"Well, you're going to be staying with me and my family," he replied.

She let out a relieved sigh and smiled at him.

_A/N: Okay…review and I just ask that you be somewhat gentle. This is my first time so I am still trying to work out all the kinks. Depending how fast I get reviews I will have the second chapter done and posted sometime soon. Thanks! -__VintageGrl_


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay…for those of you who are liking my story and wanted more I apologize for how long it has taken me to update. I have been really busy getting ready to go to college because I was transferring to a new school and it is far away from my hometown. I was busy getting all of my stuff together and saying goodbye to the people I love and on top of all that I had to work a lot too. I'm sorry but here is a new chapter and I hope it won't take me as long to get the next one up. I plan to start working on the third chapter as soon as I have this one posted so it hopefully won't be too long unless one of my professors gives me a lot of homework. So here it is:_

Layla had to stay at the Medical Center for another week before April allowed her to go to the Green's house. Jake spent every free moment that he had, even though there weren't many, at her bedside keeping her company. Although Layla loved spending time with Jake either talking or playing cards she was going stir crazy. At the end of the week she was so happy to be able to stand up and walk around they had to fight with her to get in the wheelchair. Finally Jake was able to coerce her into it just until they got to the door.

When they got to the Green residence Gail greeted them at the door. Layla had met everyone in Jake's family while she was in the center and she was relieved at how easily they had accepted her. Everyone else in Jericho watched her with weary eyes as if she was going to kill them all at a moment's notice.

"So Layla, dear, are you hungry?" Gail asked sweetly. "Can I get you something to eat?"

"Actually, the walk from the Medical Center tired me out more than I expected. Would it be possible for me to take a nap?" Layla replied with a somewhat guilty frown.

"Of course," Gail replied as she went to wrap an arm around Layla's waist. "I'll show you up to your new room."

Gail helped her up the stairs and then guided her to the last room at the end of the hall. The room gave off the same homey feel as the rest of the house with its rich wood and warm brown and red fabrics. As they both stepped into the room Gail gave her a small tour.

"We were able to get you quite a bit of clothing. There's some in the dresser and some more in the closet," Gail told her as she opened the door to the closet and then she moved and opened another door. "And this is your own bathroom. I put all your different hygiene things away in there. There's also a pitcher of fresh water if you want to freshen up before coming down to dinner. Well, I guess that's it so I'll leave you alone now." She started to walk out the door but then turned back around. "I almost forgot. There are a few more blankets in the chest if you get cold."

Layla gave her a big smile. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Green."

"Your welcome and call me Gail."

"Thank you, Gail."

When the door shut behind Gail Layla was left alone in her new room. She gingerly sat down on the chest at the foot of the bed and when she looked up she found herself staring at her reflection in the dresser mirror. She was wearing her Ravenwood uniform again which had been cleaned up as much as possible. Her hair was carelessly pulled back away from her face and she had a single bruise that was just beginning to fade running along her jaw line on the left side of her face.

With a grimace at her reflection she stood up and stripped the Ravenwood uniform off her body. Rolling it up into a ball she threw it in a corner. She opened a couple of dresser drawers before finding a sweatshirt and a pair of sweatpants. She put these on and then climbed beneath the covers and went right to sleep.

About two hours later she woke up feeling much better and set about seeing what she had to wear. First she washed herself off a bit with the cold water from the pitcher. Then she found a robe hanging on the back of the bathroom door and put it to use. After locating a brush she put her hair into order and pulled half of it back from her face leaving the rest to fall down her back in soft curls.

Searching through both the closet and the dresser she put together an outfit. When she was finished she was wearing a pair of distressed blue jeans that were the perfect size. She had found a plain black tank top which she wore under a red long-sleeved shirt. On the floor of the closet she found a pair of plain black ballet flats which were also her size. Gail had done an amazing job getting a wardrobe around for her. When she was done dressing curiosity pushed her to look in the jewelry box that was on the dresser. Inside she found a few simple but essential pieces of jewelry. She still wasn't ready to get rid of her dog tags so she just put on a pair of silver hoop earrings she found. Just before leaving the room she grabbed a black sweater from the closet and pulled it on as she made her way downstairs.

As she was heading toward the stairs Jake came out of his room and almost ran into her. He grinned at her as he looked her up and down.

"That outfit looks a lot better on you than the uniform and the hospital gown ever did," Jake commented as his grin grew.

Layla leaned against the wall and gave off an air of over-confidence. "Thanks but I know. The uniform and the hospital gown aren't tight enough to show off my hot bod." When she finished she gave him a teasing smile.

He stood before her and got so close that their bodies almost touched. "Not nearly enough." He ran a gentle finger along the bruise on her jaw. "I never asked. How did you get this?"

When she turned to look at him as she answered he let his hand just fall to her shoulder. He gently rubbed his thumb along her bare collar bone. Although she seemed unaffected by his caress he saw her pale blue eyes darken a few shades when he met her gaze.

"It was during one of the last patrols I went on…actually it was the last patrol I went on. A guy came out of nowhere and hit me with something. Luckily the rest of my squad was there to stop him from beating me to death because the one hit knocked me out." She laughed. "I actually think it knocked some sense into me."

Jake didn't know where the urge came from to gently kiss her bruise but he found himself leaning down to do just that. Before he could even get to the bruise Layla turned her head and caught his lips with her own. The kiss started out innocently enough but they both quickly made it a great deal more passionate. As Jake slanted his mouth across hers he leaned one arm up against the wall as he pressed against her. His free hand slid from its place on her shoulder to her waist and around to the small of her back.

Layla readily opened her mouth at his urging. One arm slid around to his back to pull them closer together while the other hand slid up to thread her fingers through his hair.

As the kiss deepened even more Jake began to roam his hand along her curves. Lost in the feeling of the kiss he didn't realize he had brushed her wound until she broke the kiss and gasped. The hand she had thread through his hair clutched her side as Jake stepped away from her.

He straightened his clothes and he actually looked uncomfortable. "I…I'm sorry," he blurted out.

Her eyes shot up to his. "Are you apologizing for hurting me or for the kiss?"

"Both."

A hurt look passed over her features but she was quick to conceal it from him. She straightened her clothes and glared at him. "Don't apologize. We both just used each other for a quick make out session and had you not hit my wound we would have just used each other for a quickie." She hadn't meant to be that harsh but her pride had been wounded. With a final glare she stepped around him and went downstairs.

When Jake finally came downstairs he found Layla happily chatting with his mom and helping her to set the table for dinner.

"There you are, Jake," Gail commented as she brought food in. "Dinner is ready so why don't you take a seat next to Layla?"

"Sure Mom," he replied.

They sat next to each other at the dinner table and talked to everyone but each other. There was suddenly a tension between them that everyone else could easily see.

The next morning Layla woke up and cleaning up she dressed and went downstairs. She hadn't meant to sleep as late as she had and after looking around the house she found herself alone in it. In the kitchen she found a small plate of food with a note from Gail underneath it. She said that she was at the Medical Center with April, Jake was hunting, and Johnston was most likely at the town hall. Gail invited her down to the center if she needed something to do and wanted to help out.

Figuring she might as well head down and help, she quickly ate the food and drank some water. She grabbed the brown pea coat that Gail had indicated as hers now from its hook next to the door. As she headed out the door she put on a scarf and gloves to fight against the biting cold. She was able to jog to the Medical Center and although it took a lot out of her she still felt invigorated in the end.

April and Gail were talking at the front desk when Layla came walking in. Everyone else in the building turned to look at her with fear and even accusing looks. She stuck her hands in her coat pockets and made her was sheepishly towards the two women who were smiling and waving her over.

"So did you come to lend a hand?" April asked with a somewhat hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"Please tell me you have," Gail begged. "I've been trying to get April to settle down a little since I found out about the pregnancy."

Layla cast a doubtful glance around. "I was hoping to but I don't think this town is ready to trust me that much just yet."

The other two women looked around and saw the looks the townspeople were giving Layla. They had to agree that their looks were cold and unwelcoming.

"Well, we can set you up doing something away from everyone," April suggested.

Layla gave her an unconvincing smile.

"Don't worry, dear," Gail comforted with a hand on Layla's shoulder. "Once they see that you really just want to help they'll come around."

"Thanks, Gail." Layla turned to April with a more confident smile. "What can I do to help where I won't be bothering anyone?"

"You could do some of the laundry out back and then cut up some of the older sheets into bandages," April informed her.

After Gail showed her where everything was and gave her a pair of scrubs Layla set to work. She worked hard until Gail found her a couple hours later suggesting they head home together and get something to eat. Layla agreed and after finding out that April wouldn't be joining them she grabbed her clothes and bundling them up started walking beside Gail.

When they got back to the house Johnston was the only one there waiting for them. Gail asked him where Jake was and he told them that he figured he was still out trying to hunt. They waited for only an hour more before Gail and Layla began to fix some dinner for just the three of them. April had told them that she was spending the night at the Center just in case but that she promised to take the next day off. After dinner Gail produced a very nice bottle of scotch and told them that she had found it in the back of Jake's closet. Johnston praised his son for hiding the good stuff before getting glasses for all of them and pouring each of them a small portion.

They had been sitting around chatting for awhile before Layla looked outside and noticed that it was getting very dark outside.

"Shouldn't Jake be back by now?" she asked in a concerned tone.

Johnston glanced at his watch and frowned. "He should." He thought for a moment. "Something has to be wrong for him to still be out when it's getting this dark."

Without another word Gail got up and grabbing her own coat and putting it on she brought Johnston his. He knew this meant that they were going out in search of Jake so he went to find them a vehicle and some gas. It wasn't very long before he pulled up in front of the house with a truck. As Gail made her way out to the truck Layla followed after her putting on her own coat. Johnston got out of the truck and came towards Layla.

"And just where do you think you're going?" he asked Layla.

"I'm going with you," Layla responded as if he should have known already.

"I was afraid you were going to say that. You are not going with us."

"Why not?"

"You're still healing. You shouldn't be going out on a night like this," Johnston warned.

"I feel completely fine and I think that there is a good chance that you might need me out there. I am after all a trained soldier," she told him in a tone that brooked no argument on his part.

"Let her come, Johnston. She might be able to help us," Gail agreed.

With a sigh Johnston turned back towards the truck and got back behind the wheel. He felt that he had a fair chance of beating Layla in an argument but he most certainly couldn't beat both Layla and his wife.

"Where do you think they went?" Layla asked as Johnston started the truck.

"I know that they were heading south of town so I figure if we head in that direction it will be our best bet," Johnston told her as he turned the truck around.

_Well…I hope you liked it. Once again I ask that you review but I am still trying to get the hang of this so be kind. Like I said at the beginning I hope it won't take me as long to get the next chapter up so until then thanks for reading and I hope you liked it._

_Vintagegrl_


	3. Chapter 3

Once again I want to apologize for how late this is but I have been really busy at the new school I am at and I have been trying to adjust

_Once again I want to apologize for how late this is but I have been really busy at the new school I am at and I have been trying to adjust. I also just couldn't figure out what I wanted to write and how I wanted the story to go but while not paying attention in Philosophy I figured out what I wanted to do. So here it goes and I hope you like it!_

The three of them had been in the truck driving for what felt like ages to them. All of them were tense and nervous as they scanned the area around the truck for any sign of where Jake, Stanley, and Mimi had gone. Then Layla leaned forward and squinted into the dim light the headlights gave off in front of them.

"What is that up there?" she asked pointing at a figure ahead of them that ran off to hide along the side of the road.

"I think that was Mimi," Gail answered. "Pull over, Johnston."

The truck was quickly pulled over and all three of them got out to hurry over to Mimi. When they called her name she stood up relieved. Gail quickly pulled her into a tight hug.

"Let's get you in the truck and wrapped up in a blanket," Gail said bringing her towards the truck.

"Mimi, where are the boys?" Johnston asked as they all made their way back to the truck after looking around the surrounding area.

She gave them directions of the way that she had walked before burrowing herself beneath the blanket. Layla got in beside Mimi in the back. Mimi shied away from her a bit and Layla looked at her with concern.

"Are you okay?" Layla asked.

"You're from Ravenwood," Mimi replied.

Layla relaxed slightly when she realized this was the only problem. She smiled slightly at Mimi. "Actually, I _was_ from Ravenwood but I left. Now I guess I'm just another citizen of Jericho like you."

"But you did do those horrible things?"

"I did but it was because of those things that I left Ravenwood and stumbled into Jericho. I am hoping to start anew here."

"Then we're in the same boat. I have to start anew here." She came out from underneath the blanket a bit and smiled slightly at Layla. "Perhaps we should be friends since we're in the same position."

"I'd like that. What did you do before?"

"I worked for the IRS."

"Then we definitely are in the same boat," Layla joked.

Mimi rolled her eyes and burrowed beneath the blanket again.

"There's the truck!" Gail cried out when it came into view.

The truck skidded to a halt before the overturned one and everyone but Mimi quickly jumped out. Gail and Johnston knelt beside Jake and began to help him out however they could. Layla wanted to help Jake but seeing Gail and Johnston crowded around him she felt she would only be getting in the way. Glancing to the side she saw Stanley struggling to get on his feet.

"Need a hand?" she offered going over to him.

"Yeah," he replied with a grateful smile.

He took her extended hand and she helped pull him to his feet. As soon as he was up she took in his unbalanced weight and quickly wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She allowed him to get his balance and lean on her.

"Why don't we get you into the truck?" she suggested.

"Where's Mimi?" he asked concerned and worried.

"She's already in the truck."

With a nod he started walking towards the truck with her. He looked down at her.

"You're the girl from Ravenwood," he said as more of a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah but most people call me Layla," she replied smirking up at him.

They got to the truck and opened the back door and helped him in. Mimi was instantly fretting over him and making sure he was wrapped tightly in a blanket. Layla left them alone and returned to the Green family.

"Do you need any help?" she asked, ready to lend a hand and wanting to help Jake.

Johnston looked up at her. "I need you to drive the truck back into town with Gail and bring back help."

"But I don't know the roads. Wouldn't it be faster for you to just drive back?"

"You're a trained soldier. You can get back and if you need help Gail can tell you where to go."

Gail got up and wrapped her arm around Layla's waist. "Come on, dear. We had better get on our way if we our going to be any good to Jake."

Layla was about to protest again but then she saw the worry and fear in Gail's eyes and she couldn't deny the woman who had helped her so much. She just nodded her head and went back to the truck with her. Getting behind the wheel she started the truck and turned it around to head back into town. She looked at Gail as the older woman watched the road to make sure that they were headed in the right direction while occasionally looking into the back seat to see how Stanley and Mimi were doing.

"How bad is he?" Layla asked softly but with concern.

Gail's eyes flashed to Layla's and she could tell that she wouldn't be able to lie to the younger woman before her. "I can't really tell until he has been brought out from under the truck. He is freezing though and I don't think his body temperature can drop much lower but the ground is sucking the warmth from his body."

Layla merely nodded as she her head back to the road and pressed a little more on the gas peddle. She wanted to get back into Jericho as fast as they could while still using the least amount of gas possible.

Once back in Jericho Gail and Layla quickly handed Stanley and Mimi over to someone else to be taken to the med center. As Gail gathered up a group of people to help with Jake, Layla put some more gas into the truck and waited. When they were on the road again Layla went as fast as she possibly could. She had to go at a moderate pace so she wouldn't use too much gas and so that she wouldn't lose the rest of the group. The truck skidded to a halt before the over turned truck and both she and Gail quickly jumped out to rush to Jake and Johnston.

Everyone else came around and they quickly figured out what to do so they got into place. The truck was lifted off of Jake and Layla helped to quickly pull him out from under. A back board was brought over and she helped to strap him to it. She followed behind with Gail as Johnston and another man carried him to the bed of the truck. They placed him on top of a few blankets so that his body was kept from the cold metal of the truck bed. Layla made to get in the bed with him but Johnston stopped her.

"And just what do you think you're doing, young lady?" he sternly asked.

"Someone needs to keep him warm," Layla replied matter of factly.

"I think I can do that."

"You've already been out in the cold long enough. You should be in the warm truck to get your own body temp. up."

"She's right, Johnston," Gail agreed. "Get in the truck and let's get Jake back to the house."

With a nod Johnston helped Layla up into the truck bed and then got into the truck with Gail.

As they headed down the road Layla got under the many blankets and snuggled up against Jake's side. She rubbed her hands along his chest and arms to try and get his blood flowing to warm him up. Jake stirred and turned his head to look her in the eye. He gave a weak laugh.

"What does this remind you of?" he asked softly.

She grinned at him and her eyes softened. "That night in the Afghan desert."

"That was one memorable night," he laughed.

She just smiled and got even closer to him.

"There is one difference between that night and now."

She looked up at him confused. "And what's that?"

"We had a lot less clothing between us," he replied with a devilish grin.

"Also your parents weren't right nearby," she countered with a teasing smile.

He groaned. "I was starting to warm up and you just have to go and ruin the mood."

She laughed and rested her head against his shoulder. They lay there in silence for a few minutes before Layla leaned up to say something. She found him sleeping and started to worry. Laying her hand against his chest she couldn't feel if he was still breathing. She pressed her fingers to the side of his throat and was happy to feel a pulse even though it was rather weak. She needed to keep him awake so she gently shook him until he opened his eyes and groaned.

"I am hardly in the right shape to reenact that night," he said with a dry chuckle.

She lightly smacked him on the chest. "I hardly had plans to reenact that night in the bed of a truck with your parents up front and you near death."

"Then why on earth do you have to wake me up? I am so tired."

"You have to stay awake and try to keep yourself warm. You use to be a soldier so you know that," she replied looking down at him.

As she looked into his eyes she watched as they turned from weary and drained to worried and nervous. She looked compassionately at him as she continued to rub his arms and chest to try to warm him up.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"When everything gets back to normal what are people like you and I going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"If the government is able to get itself back together and get things working again what is going to happen to you and I? We have been fighting battles and wars for so long and that it is almost all that we know. Once things are peaceful again what use are we going to be good for?"

She paused for a moment and looked down at the blanket than rather in his eyes as she gave serious thought to his question. "I guess people like us are going to have to make a choice. We can either continue to fight to keep the peace and protect those who need to be protected…or we can try and do something else with our lives." She looked back at him. "What do you want to do with your life?"

"I have absolutely no idea. Once I left Jericho I spent the majority of my time as a mercenary in Afghanistan so I don't really know what it means to be a normal adult citizen. What do you want to do?"

"I am in exactly the same boat as you. I've never lived a _normal_ life. I went from a bad home life to a bad life and then I became a mercenary. I've never even allowed myself to dream of what a normal life would be like for me." She smiled down at him. "Maybe we can help each other out."

"Maybe," he murmured somewhat unsure that either one of them could be helped at this point.

Layla kept him talking about different things to keep him awake as they made the rest of the drive to Jericho. It wasn't very long before they pulled up in front of the Green house and everyone gathered around to help Jake. Johnston helped Layla down from the truck bed then turned back and with the help of several other men pulled Jake out and carried him into the house.

April was already there waiting for them to get back. Eric had started a roaring fire in the fire place to chase away the chill in the living room and had placed a comfortable chair in front of it for Jake. With the help of his father and brother Jake was able to stand up on wobbly legs and sit in the chair amongst a plethora of blankets. April instantly went to work checking up on him to see what kind of shape he was in.

"Should you take him to the med center?" Gail asked.

"He is better off here," April answered. "Sitting in front of the fire he is warmer than he would be at the center." She turned to the family and Layla would stood around watching with concern. "Just keep him warm and he should be fine in a couple of days."

It was about an hour later that everyone finally left Jake alone and decided to go to bed. Layla was lying in her own bed trying to fall asleep when she finally gave up and quietly got out of bed. She slipped on a pair of slippers and threw on a big sweatshirt before deciding to go and see how Jake was doing. She stopped at the top of the stairs and listened to Jake and Johnston talking below. Jake was trying to tell his father about an experience that they had both gone through in Afghanistan. Hearing him cry and remembering what they had gone through she felt tears come to her own eyes.

After calming Jake down Johnston headed up the stairs and Layla heard him too late. She tried to slip quietly back into her room but he caught her.

"Layla?" he questioned softly.

She tried to quickly wipe away the tears before turning to him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."

He saw the tears still in her eyes and on her cheeks. "You were there with him, weren't you?"

She simply nodded her head as she felt the tears come again. Rather than turn her away Johnston walked up to her and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. He rubbed her back and tried to help her calm down just as he had done with Jake moments ago.

"Both of you did what you had to do to survive and come back home," he softly told her as he tried to reassure her. "You need to move on and remember the good things that you did and try and create new, better memories."

He went with her to her room and after making sure she was okay he left her alone to fall asleep.

_Okay…there it is. I hope you liked it and once again I apologize for it being so late. As long as my classes cooperate it shouldn't be as long before I put up the next chapter…and as long as I can get away with not paying attention in Philosophy some more. Read and review but be kind! VintageGrl_


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